1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to golf clubs which have a limited area elevated striking surface on a lateral face of the head of the club. More particularly, this invention relates to a golf club having a limited area elevated striking surface which is adapted to reduce hitting errors, provide solid consistent putts and to impart desired control of the spin of the golf ball.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The golf club which is used by the golfer on the green or putting surface is, not surprisingly, known as a putter. There are two distinct kinds of putters currently in use by golfers. One is the mallet putter and the other is the blade putter. The difference between the two putters is simply that the mallet putter has a greater profile than the blade putter. In other words, the distance from the front of the putter's striking surface to its rear surface is greater in a mallet putter. However, the area of the striking faces of the mallet and blade putters do not significantly differ from one golf club to another. The area of the striking surfaces of these prior art putters, in fact, are in many cases only slightly less than that of other golf clubs which are used for golf shots at a great distance from the green which require contacting the golf ball with the club head with a far greater velocity than is required to properly stroke the golf ball with a putter. For example, the velocity of the number one wood or driver at impact is from up to 150 miles per hour.
Despite the fact that there is available to the golfer substantially the same amount of club face in which to hit the golf ball with his putter as there is to hit the golf ball with the driver or other wood club, putts are generally mishit. It is remarkable that this should be true when one considers that the putter is used on a putting green that ideally is a carefully prepared and manicured flat grass surface so that there is usually a smooth path from the golf ball to the target cup to which the golfer must direct the ball; that the surface of the putting green also usually allows the golfer to assume the stance that is most comfortable to him; and that the distances involved are far shorter than any other golf shot.
The frequency with which putts are missed is also surprising because the putter is utilized more than any other club in the golfer's bag and in fact accounts for more than half of the strokes required by par on the average golf course.
In addition to the flat and relatively large striking surfaces of prior art putters, the top of the putter heads used heretofore usually have line-up marks which indicate to the golfer the center of gravity of the putter system, i.e., the point at which impact should occur between the putter head and the golf ball to obtain a true hit. The problem with such large-faced putters with their line-up markers is that they tend to lower the golfer's degree of concentration in that the golfer not improvidently believes that the chances of seriously mishitting the golf ball resting on the putting green are far less than anywhere else on the golf course. This relaxation of concentration, however, has led many golfers to unconsciously move or roll their hands forward of the putter head during the putting stroke which results in decreasing the angle of the putter face to the putting green to an angle below the desired 90.degree. angle at the point of impact with the golf ball. As a result, the upper part of the striking surface of the putter head leads the rest of the putter into the impact zone and hits the golf ball above the ball's center of gravity thus producing an overspin on the ball and a faster roll to the cup than was intended or which would have been produced if the ball had been hit squarely at its center of gravity. Golf balls hit in this fashion usually overshoot the cup. Similarly, the golfer is apt to unconsciously roll his hands away from the ball thus increasing the angle of the putter face to the putting green above the desired 90.degree. angle at the point of impact with the golf ball. Consequently, the lower part of the putter face tends to hit the golf ball below the ball's center of gravity. Hitting on the golf ball in this manner will tend to produce a back spin on the golf ball and cause the ball to roll more slowly to the cup than if hit squarely through the center of gravity of the golf ball. The golf ball thus invariably fails to reach the cup.
It is also a common fault of golfers to unwittingly play the golf ball too close to their left or right foot. In other words, golfers sometimes assume an improper stance which results in a tendency to hit the golf ball on the down stroke and above the center of gravity of the golf ball or on the up stroke and below the center of gravity of the golf ball. Thus, the effect is the same as when the golfer decreases or increases the angle of the putter face because it results in either hitting the golf ball above or below its center of gravity with concomitant imparting of forward or reverse spin to the golf ball.
Another common cause of mishit putts is the tendency of many golfers to lift their heads to see where the golf ball is going before completing the putting stroke. Due to the fact that the golfer has raised his head before completely hitting the golf ball, the golfer invariably also raises the putter face before hitting the golf ball. The result is that the golfer fails to hit the golf ball through the center of gravity of the putter system or "tops" the golf ball. Despite the fact that hitting the golf ball in this manner produces some forward or overspin in the golf ball, the resultant putt is a weak one and the ball does not travel as far as was intended by the golfer.